I made an arrangement with a weekly women’s glossy to tell my story. They offered complete editorial control, I had to agree to every word.

While I wasn’t thrilled by some of the phraseology, and altered it a little, overall it wasn’t inaccurate.

I used the money to journey overseas to help a friend through her surgery, and get her back home afterwards.

That magazine has an exclusive – so I’m protected now. Other, less reputable ones know that my story is stale, yesterday’s news, and if they do try something, I’ll just give even more to their competitors, freezing them out.

I don’t recommend giving your story away, unless it’s to de-mystify and educate. And only do so under those conditions. Research what they’ve done in the past, make sure they’re reputable, and insist that you OK every word or the story gets pulled.

Ethical journalists will readily agree to this. So if they voice any objections, make sure they know that their competitors will get an exclusive if they try anything on.

What a horrible publication. This sort of treatment is completely unacceptable and utterly abhorrent. I think I’m going to be making my voice heard on this subject. I’ll fish out their contact details later. Anyone care to join me?

Nice to see you’re being your usual font of positivity, Simon. Rags like this do both “heart-warmers” as well as “point-and-laughs”. I think it says a lot about this woman that she was optimistic to entrust her story to these assholes thinking that she’d be one of the “heart-warmers”, despite being part of just about the most picked on and least understood minority in the country. That, to me, shows someone who’s held her head up high and been proud of who she is. So what if she was naive or careless? Does that give her any less right to complain about what happened to her? Does that make it any less horrible? I think she’s already learnt her terrible “lesson” – that people are out to get you and being nice won’t keep you safe. And what a horrible, yet unfortunately necessary, thing for anyone to have to learn. She doesn’t need chastisement from us on top of that. Why not be supportive of her?

I’d likely never fall for such a thing. Does that make me any better of a person? A suspicious, over-analysing, distrusting smarty-pants? ****, no. I strive every day to be more like this woman. To be positive and trusting, even if it ends up costing me.

PS: Simon, I finally responded to your last comment in the story on Lady Gaga being bisexual (page 3 last time I looked). I know it’s kind of a minor story, but it touches on subjects that really interest me, so I thought I’d just give you the heads-up in case you wanted to read what I had to say or respond.

I do feel sympathy for how she was portrayed in the magazine but she must accept responsibility for her own decision to sell her story for cash to a media outlet which publishes sensationalistic stories every single week.

She had the choice not to sell her story. And why on earth would she sell her story? For fame? For media exposure? For cash?

Was this woman REALLY so naive to think that a rag like Closer or Heat would tell an honest story over a sensationalistic story? The British public is media savvy enough to know how gossip magazines work so I believe this woman did also.

I’m curious whether Pinknews contacted her about this story or whether she contacted Pinknews to express her ‘outrage’ at her portrayal. If it’s the latter scenario then she’s just another publicity seeker similar to the likes of Jordan et al. (Jordan regularly expresses her ‘outrage’ at how she is portrayed in the media also – she does so by contacti g other media outlets to tell them)

That still doesn’t answer the question why she thinks that a magazine (which in the picture accompanying this story features on the cover the ‘heartwarming’ tale of “World’s Biggest Boobs – my natural 98ZZZ breasts weigh 8 stone”) is a good place to tell the tale of her struggle for acceptance.

She needs to take responsibility for her own actions. No-one forced her to sell her story to Closer (‘Insecure Posh: I hate my nose and my head looks too big now'; ‘Size Zero Jordan: Extreme Diet Ages her 8 years’). Did she not think to have a read of the magazine before selling her story?

And she is STILL commenting to the media – in her interview with Pink News.

Yes the Closer article is nasty but Ms Edkins is just as culpable as they are. She is either woefully naive (which I personally don’t believe – even my elderly mother knows the ways gossip magazines work) or seeking publicity for herself.

As she said, 90% was totally fabricated by Closer. I was one of the people that complained. Even if you sell a story that can be sensationalised, to utterly lie about it all tells you what sort of magazine Closer is.

I feel very sorry that she’s been had, but also, she needed to be a bit more savvy. If she did it to get the money for her friend’s op, then that’s fair enough, but if it was just for fame, then she got what she asked for. Trash mags like this will sensationalise everything. Let’s hope others learn from this poor woman’s harsh lesson.

I’ve not seen the article but has anyone seen the pictures they used to accompany the article as that would be a better indication of who is telling the truth. Is she ‘posing’ for the pictures in a Jordan-esque manner or is she posing in an ordinary manner. Even if they manipulate her size there is no way they can manipulate the poses. If she is doing your standard tabloid shocker pose then I think it’s pretty clear she’s just an attention seeker.

I suppose all we can do is to take this as a lesson against appearing in such publications without making absolutely sure what we’re getting into. Particularly this one, which seems to take its cue straight from the tabloids (and that apology, which was basically “I’m sorry you’re so stupid”) with regard to such trifles as “the truth”.

her story was forwarded to pink news after she informed people through various forums about how she was treated- she was eeking to warn others from making the same mistake. thats why pink news was contacted too, so that no-one else goes to closer to try and tell a real and heartwarming story only to be made into a freak by them. she isnt seeking attention, shes warning others.

Thank you Simon for your not very kind words, its really sweet that you would think that I would go all this way for some money or fame. I ment to only support others that have been through what I have, at the time all I wanted was to get people understanding trans folk are not some kind of freaks. Closer missed out the parts that I talked about what was about being the full time carer of my daughter, loosing my mum at 15 before I got to tell her, loosing my Grand parents last year, then my uncle then my father last july. This was only part of it, the list went on, I just wanted to show theres always light no matter what at the end of the tunnel!

I don’t wish to be mean but hadn’t you ever read Closer before you did the interview? Do you not think that a magazine which sells itself a scandal sheet is not necessarily the best place to go to when looking for ‘acceptance’. A magazine which has headlines like “World’s Biggest Boobs: My natural 98ZZZ breasts weigh 8 stone” isn’t necessarily the place to go to seek acceptance.

And even if it was – why do you seek acceptance from the readers of a low rent gossip mag? Surely acceptance from your friends, family, neighbours and colleagues is more important.

I also would like to note, I was spoken to on the phone for a chat, not thinking it was some kind of interview. Then I was told to go to london and get photos done, then I waited and waited, called her up and said whats happening. She said well its out tomorrow, then I said dont I get to read it before hand. She said “it dont work like that” I said “what?” she said “most magazines dont let u see what was written”. I said, I thought you was going to meet me and have a interview, she then said, “no, the phone call was the interview” after that, I just knew it was going to go VERY pete tong.

Okay I give up, you guys and girls are one tough crowd. So I tried and failed but I dont think I should be judged on lies that was written. This will be the last comment I write only because I feel I have said my peace and I have nothing more to say. For the record, I am a member of a few charities and I also have worked as a support worker for quite a few years, so please dont be rude.

Chrisie, these idiots are revolting. Wanting to get your story to a wider readership is nothing to be ashamed of. It’s the people who read these magazines who are less likely to be accepting and therefore they need to hear stories like yours. You got burnt but that doesn’t mean you should stop doing the right thing. It’s ok for these arm chair philosophers to shout “work for a charity!” and then do nothing themselves. I hope you read this.

Best of luck and don’t let it get you down! I’m sure you’re a brilliant mum.

Chrisie, you’ve obviously learnt your lesson, as so many other people in life have from being in these cheap rags. Put it behind you, move on and keep up your charity work – you’ll get better results there. And fair play to you for coming on here and discussing the incident, others will surely been educated from it also. It’s also inadvertently raised awareness of trans issues (which, let’s face it not all of us in this community understand entirely) and people have stood up and taken note. Shame it had to come from such a horrible bit of journalism, but silver linings and all that. Best of luck to you.

Aw, just ignore ‘em, Chrisie. If you read through the comments, you’ll know it’s only a vocal minority who were rude. Simon Murphy is usually a nice guy, he just has this odd sort of loathing for anyone he perceives as a “fame-seeker”. I get the impression that he hates our society’s “cult of celebrity” and everyone who’s complicit in it – whether or not they intended to be. Don’t take his comments personally, it’s just one of them “issues and principles” type of things, y’know?

Simon Murphy usually a nice guy? Maybe he should try and be less judgemental if he doesn’t know the whole story? *rolls eyes* And all others in the comment box, too. Less of the bitchy comments, please. Let’s try to act like adults and show some compassion.

The overwhelming message out of this whole discussion is that non-trans people seem to not understand the difficulties that trans-people face. I include myself in that, I barely know any trans-people at all. At univeristy (a while ago) we had to ratifying the renaming the LGB Scoiety to LGBT and I admit that I wondered what on earth the relevance was between T and myself. I’m attracted to my own gender, but I don’t share any gender/identity difficulties. Some people raised questions as to why, but a few bleeding-heart liberals drowned them out before a proper discussion could be had (which, I might add, would have educated us a bit on it). There was no trans representative at the vote to inform us of what exactly we were voting on. It went through in any case, but it was badly managed.

It’s a very different equality battle that’s going on there – and much more complicated to LGB people. However, I’m happy to have T included with the rest of us, simply because we are the closest support network that’s available. It’s also helping to educate us LGB people, bit by bit.

As regards Simon Murphy, clearly we don’t share many opinions, but I think his main issue is the whole desperation to be a celebrity thing. Which (almost faints), I actually agree on. Chrisie’s cleared up that matter, so it’s best to let it be. Our continuing education on trans matters, however, goes on…..I’m sure we’ve all learnt something here.

I was interviewed by Closer due to being a sex worker- thankfully I insisted on using my own photos, refused to let them use my parents names (and wrote that in an email so it was in writing) and even though they twisted what I said a bit, it wasn’t terrible. Having done other media with similar reps (Love It! and the Sunday Sport) I can definitely tell you that letting you read the piece beforehand IS fair to ask and IS the norm, at least in my experience.

No justics and equality no Peace!
Gays need to fight back the same as all oppressed groups who had to raise up form oppression. The time is now, together we can all do it, that is what they are afraid of.

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